This invention relates to a gas discharge display panel having matrix electrodes for displaying a plurality of patterns, such as numerals, letters, and/or symbols, arranged along at least one row and to a dielectric plate for use in manufacturing a gas discharge display panel on which one set of the matrix electrodes is formed.
For a gas discharge display panel having matrix electrodes, such as an external electrode gas discharge display usually referred to as a plasma display panel, use is made of a pair of plates, each made of an electrically insulating material. The plates are formed of glass or other insulating material, and have parallel electrodes formed thereon for use as the matrix row or column electrodes. Terminal areas are also formed on each of the plates and connected to the electrodes formed thereon. Since the electrodes are closely spaced, the terminal areas are also crowded and of a narrow width as shown in FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. Des. 222,543 issued Nov. 2, 1971. This makes it difficult to connect the terminal areas to an external circuit, such as a driving circuit for the panel, with sufficient mechanical strength. In an attempt to overcome this difficulty i.e., the fragile connection between the panel and the external circuit, every other electrode is connected to terminal areas disposed along one edge portion of the plate, and the remaining electrodes are connected to terminal areas disposed along the opposite edge portion of the plate. This reduces the congestion at the terminal areas. The difficulty of effecting connections is not overcome, however, because there are no criteria for identifying the terminal areas connected to a particular electrode. This is not only true on making initial connections between the terminal areas and an external circuit, but also in locating the terminal corresponding to any electrode which fails to contributing to proper production of a corresponding elemental area of a display for trouble diagnosis and/or repair.